If you buy something through our links, ToolGuyd might earn an affiliate commission.

The newest Dewalt 20V Max cordless LED worklight, DCL074, is described as an all-purpose light.

The Dewalt DCL074 is said to be compact, portable, and convenient for everyday lighting tasks, and bright enough to illuminate large areas.

Advertisement

Dewalt says it can deliver up to 5000 lumens of natural white light, and as usually with LED emitters, without the heat and hassle typically associated with halogen worklights.

Yes, that’s five thousand lumens.

There’s a done-shaped diffusor on top, which should help illuminate an area evenly.

It can be used freestanding on any horizontal surface or hung from an integrated hook.

There’s also a 5/8 x 11 tripod mount (tripod sold separately).

The Dewalt DCL074 worklight can be powered by 20V Max or FlexVolt batteries. It boasts up to 11 hours of runtime, when paired with a 6.0Ah battery ($100-129 via Amazon) and set to the lowest output setting.

First Thoughts

I love the shape of this thing, as a worklight but also in a general sense. The new Dewalt LED worklight looks like just the type of product that could appear as a prop in an upcoming sci-fi series or movie.

As an aside, I spotted Milwaukee’s M18 Rocket LED tripod light in a SyFy series episode in 2018, and it wasn’t painted or obviously modified. For you sci-fi fans, which show was it?

The new DCL074 delivers around 71% of the max brightness of the DCL070 worklight, but with a much smaller size and at a lower price point.

Yes, it’s a bit pricey, but its features and functionality seems proportional.

Can someone explain to me why these lights are so large and expensive? I’d wager (with my embarrassingly limited knowledge) that the price of the LED diodes in that things isn’t over $50 (probably much less) and could fit on to a playing card.

Iduno either dude, I get lights can be expensive but it doesn’t matter which tool company they are always super expensive! Diodes are not that expensive, it’s something with LEDs in general across the board & size is usually when it’s a area light vs flood &/or bc they gotta make em tough to withstand “job site” hazards. & I guess that’s the name of the game, bc if you want a pick up & go light that can take a beating & doesn’t have to have any downtime given the ability to swap batteries or in some cases then plug in we have to pay these insane price points!? My boy said how come you have all these crazy tools but have no gangsta red or yellow cordless light?! Straight up bc I can justify spending $500 on a miter saw that I love! It’s gunna make me money, my life easier & smile 😃 bc it’s dope! But friggin $200+ or even $100+ on a light that I might potentially need to buy an extremely overpriced battery for (I prob wouldn’t need too given how many batteries I have, but have to factor that aspect in to justifications of the price point) just doesn’t seem reasonable. I still read almost every article & watch tons of vids on these light lol but they have more become a fantasy item that I would love but just can’t justify the price on majority of them enough to buy. On a side note my boy has the m12 rover light, rips through batteries unless he runs his new 6ah which is hella long lasting then! (2-3ah get him 20-40 min!?! Da f*ck!?) I would prob buy the m18 rover flood light & if I needed batteries grab some generic wil-fuckees on eBay/amazon to power her! It’s a dope light that he loves and m18 version is only about $100 bare tool. Magnets are crazzzzzzy strong & has another strong piece to grab and hold any nonferrous surface! & that’s with his m12 version! M18 is even more of all those things! Check it at Home Depot buy it @ ACME OR CPO! Thanks for the article too btw! Light looks sick, wish it was a little cheaper & I would prob buy! Though having an area light that also has a flood mode though is really where it’s at as an overall package imo

The LEDs are more like $5-$15 at the max. And for size you could get the LEDs themselves to fit on a stamp 2 or 3 times. The size is for a few reasons. Heat, those LEDs will get hot. And heat kills LEDs. I have a 5000 lumen flashlight that’s about the size of a coke can. It will only run for a few minutes at those levels before the light gets to hot to hold comfortably. So for them to have a light that might run for hours at that output they need room for a big heatsink and some way to vent that heat.
Then since it’s going to be on a job site it needs to be tough, it’s a lot easier to protect it when they make it big. Just looking at it there’s a lot there that will help it survive falls.
Another thing is safety/comfort. If your look into a 5000 lumen point source your eyes aren’t going to like it. That could be dangerous on a worksite if your momentarily blinded every time you look at the light. So not only is that big dome providing protection, it’s also diffusing the source so it’s not as blinding.

These are job site lights, and if you saw one that had a bit of use on it, it would make a lot more sense. These can take quite a bit of abuse on the job, getting thrown into boxes and trucks, lumber and worse falling on them. Getting kicked, stepped on, even heavy duty flashlights don’t quite cut the mustard. Industry has had lights like these for a while

I was going to be the 073 light and they abandon it. I posted about it a few years ago when it accidentally went on their website. 073 light was exactly what I told the Des Moines rep to build 4 years ago.

This wasn’t an oversight, no for profit corporation would want to limit the ability for them to make even more profits. How would this benefit Black and Decker Stanley or distributors if this had a cord? Then there would be less incentive for some to buy additional batteries and chargers. Unless of course, they offered a model with

There is a compromise in that they could offer a model of this with extension cord capability i.e. 120 volt option for an added cost.

You mean marketing and finance. Not designer or engineer. Marketing picks the specs that they think customers want and finance decides how much can be spent to build the product. Stop blaming the designer/engineers.

In the event you’re serious, that’s because it’s a work light, not an emergency or signal light lol One places and activates the light where they are working and need continuous lighting. I’m hesitant in my disbelief though, as I’m fairly certain you’re being sarcastic. However, I am almost certain that lots of people will have this same question sincerely, so there it is haha

“Tripod legs” for photography (a zillion good sturdy choices) means no head on them as there are a zillion choices there too. Cameras have 1/4-20 thread and legs have 3/8-16 thread. So, of course, this thing uses 5/8 x 11.

BTW, using a set of legs with a t-nutted plywood tabletop is a pretty handy thing too.

The time frame ranges per the multiple settings it has. They’re saying that you’ll get 11 hours on low, and scaled shorter times for each brightness interval you choose. Not a question mark, or a maybe you’ll get 11, maybe you’ll get 1 and a half.

(Me to self) In that second picture, what is illuminating the floor? (Looks at shadows of ladder) Aha! A second light off to the left, aimed more or less under the up-firing DeWalt light.

(muses) In fact, I imagine that if I were working like that on a ladder in a dark room, that thing would illuminate the ceiling well. Too well, maybe. And everything below my chest, like my feet and the floor, would be pitch black, because my eyes would be adapted to the intense bright light. (And if I happened to glance AT the light, I would be dazzled and half blinded, so I would have to stop work and swear for a while.) So if I drop a tool, I wouldn’t see where it went, and getting down from the ladder might even be a bit unsafe.

For that kind of work, I’m still a fan of wide-throw headlamps. If I need to illuminate a wall, I will use the typical floods that actually can be aimed at things.

I have two of the DCL070 lights that I love using around the property, but for someone that has to be mobile (transporting in a work vehicle and constantly in places without electric) this seems like much better choice. I would consider getting two more if the price was right.

The DCL070s are “7,000 lumens”, but only on 120v. They are only 3,000 lumens on battery. I sometimes use them with the power station to get full brightness when I am far from electric. The difference when plugged in is dramatic. I wish there was a firmware update to get the full 7,000 lumens on battery, even if battery life is terrible.

Having 5,000 lumens available cordlessly in a smaller platform sounds like a big win, although for my uses, the integrated stand on the DCL070 is a plus for many reasons. I am not sure I would have a reason to buy the DCL074 but I will certainly look out for sales. I got the DCL070s for sale prices that I could not believe.

In general, I feel so spoiled by the lighting options available now compared to even a couple of years ago.

THANK YOU! There is now an “eco mode” option in the Tool Connect app that you can turn off for each light, and then it appears that the light is as bright on battery as it is on AC.

This is a huge improvement and I cannot thank you enough for letting me know things changed. I cannot believe DeWalt did not announce this more obviously. I am thrilled, this makes an awesome product much better, and makes the Tool Connect app worthwhile! I was very disappointed in how clunky it was when I got the first light in 2017, and now it works perfectly (and upgrades my lights!!!).

Even if the battery life is terrible, I have so many it is a non-issue.

This is the original post on DeWalt’s site Dec 15 2017. It was going to have a pass through for power.

DCL073
20V MAX* TOOL CONNECT™ CORDED/CORDLESS ALL-PURPOSE LIGHT

The DEWALT 20V MAX* Tool Connect Corded/Cordless All-Purpose Light gives you the versatility to illuminate any jobsite or application. It’s bright enough to light up large areas, yet portable enough for everyday task lighting. Powerful and efficient LED technology produces over 5000 lumens of natural white light, without the heat or hassle of halogen. The All-Purpose Light works with DEWALT 20V MAX* or FLEXVOLT® batteries for all-day runtime with cordless operation. When plugged in, the All-Purpose Light charges your battery while also providing AC pass-through to power a separate tool or daisy-chain multiple lights. The All-Purpose Light can be used freestanding, tripod-mounted, or hung with the convenient integrated hook. Use the free Tool Connect mobile app to control and monitor your All-Purpose Light from anywhere in the world. The All-Purpose Light is GUARANTEED TOUGH. Impact resistant body and lens, plus IP-54 rated dust and water protection ensure it will stand up to your toughest jobsite environments.

What a totally silly call on their part. That would have kicked this thing into a whole different league. I just switched to red (by necessity) after being on the yellow 12v and 20v max platforms literally since their release almost a decade ago. Dewalt has come light years ahead recently wth their quality and release rate, but stuff like this definitely makes me regret the switch less.

If I went with DeWalt I would come away with only one extra 9ah battery (though I already have plenty), a weaker saw and lights I couldn’t plug into an extension cord. Also, I’ve used Lg. Radius lights and hated how bright they were. 2200 lumens on the small M18 radius light is really perfect, and I can plug them in. Yes, you can turn down the DeWalt to a lower lumens setting but then you’re paying twice as much, for the same thing and no ability to plug into an extension cord. And if anyone’s used a high lumen light, you know they eat batteries. Since I light stays still most of the time, extension cords for a light isn’t the worst thing.

However, the two 12ah batteries last all day in the smaller M18 lights and give me the ability to buy into some of the new more powerful M18 tools, not to mention the chainsaw replaces my gas 16″ Stihl.

All in all I’m glad I made the tough decision to buy into a new platform.

Please, somebody tell me DeWalt is working on a 110v adapter that will allow us to run our all of our 20V tools off of local power when available. How cool would that be and the versatility makes a lot of $en$e!

The metabo hpt tools that can be run on batteries and corded are not a good choice for construction. The adapter is about 20′ long with (box) at 10′ . That box is cheap plastic and when dragged around it broke.
….for a stationary tool ,np, but if it’s stationary why be cordless.

For the people saying LED emitters are “cheap”, I’d tell you to go source no name chinesium 5k lumen emitters vs branded 5k lumen emitters. And the 5k emitter is going to be somewhere in the 35-70 watt range, depending on specifics, so that’s a fair amount of heat to be dissipated from the unit.

Good, 5k lumen flashlights, that actually output 5k lumens start in this price range (though frequently with 4 Li Ion batteries), but seldom can output at 5k for more than a minute or two before dropping down 60-80% or more.

In the framing world ,these lights are not good. Light must be directed downward, because we cut lumber on horses and up ward light would blind you.
..what works best is stringing a line of corded lights throughout the job
… directional light is a better option Ike Milwaukee pivotal lights, dewalt just doesn’t have a “light team ” that understands lighting needs.
..

No ,too short. We run hundreds of feet of string lights ( a bulb in a plastic or metal cage ) connected by a 120v line….
…dewalts giant cone lights just blind you. This light has no directional possibilities or ac function…. Milwaukee pivotal Rover or tripod lights work great… sometimes there’s too much water in the cellar for tripods( 10-20″ ..) no power too pump it our,so we need to hang a light .

That string light is example of Ryobi’s innovation (and it’s hybrid, ya!), but could definitely be improved.

I have one and like it, but some my wish list includes: the cables have connectors, the lights have better mounting options (tripod screws, magnetic, etc), and maybe you could use more, but dimmer lights (e.g. instead of 3 x 500 lumen, do 5 x 300 lumen).

Fyi 5/8 x 11 is the tripod thread standard for lazer levels, transits, theodolite and other surveying equipment. (3.5 x 8 is the other) DeWalt being focused on the construction market it makes sense to use this standard rather than photography tripod standards.

Adapters can always be made or an intermedite base can be used to make camera tripods work. Dewalt should offer an adapter. Most every survey tripod I have seen have spiked feet for staking the instrument in the ground. Not something I would want to use indoors in a renovation type setting.

One of the pictures shows a metal mounting hook. I hope it has the key holes for using a simple dry wall screw or nail as well. Given those options I probably wouldn’t use either tripod type on a job site.

I just tried to send a comment on this light & got some kind of funky message about not being able to connect. Probably an issue on my end but thought you’d want to know. In any event, the gist of what I said is that the light looks great but it is just too expensive for me. My question though has to do with the Bluetooth capability. I have several of their Bluetooth batteries & can’t get them to pair now. Initially (2016) they did. I’ve tried to contact DeWalt through their live chat & by setting up cases & have established a slew of them. They just don’t get back to me. Anyone else have this problem?? If so, would certainly appreciate some help/advice. Great blog & sorry for the double post if my earlier one should show up.

Thanx. I’ll give that a try. When the app worked, I found it useful to keep up with the status of my batteries. I volunteer with Habitat for Humanity & folks were always borrowing my batteries so it proved useful to help me make sure I had them all before I left for the day & additionally would alert me if one got out of range. So, I’d very much like to return to having that capability.

1) on the costing. It’s about right for a premium tool branded light of capability. Might be a touch high but introductory pricing etc. Aside from the need to constand use LED’s to emit the light – good ones cost a bit. Then you need the current and voltage regulators to keep them supplied. That circuit costs a bit – and to make and mount it such that it can do different outputs and also be impact resistant costs a bit more. Then a housing that can take the abuse and be waterproof – ding again. So yes this is reasonably priced.

2) on not using a power pass though – bet they make another sub model that does. Call it a hunch, sort of like the DCL 060 vs DCL 061. I have the 61 and love it.

I like the base hook option on this and like someone else day for most work I could see that being the most useful option. it hangs from ______ and you are working on the floor with enough light all around. I used my DCL061 like that in flooring the attic of my old house.

Also did I read it right – 11 hours at max with 6AH battery pack. Seem pretty cut and dry there. What are the dim levels. I see 5000 lumen, and 1000 lumen or maybe I read that wrong – I suspect there’s a level in between.

fred on The Best Hook and Pick Set?: “Moody also make spring hooks and sets: https://www.amazon.com/Threaded-Spring-Tool-Kit-Light/dp/B0026GI62A/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=B0026GI62A&qid=1558784803&s=industrial&sr=1-1”